


Purpose

by trebleklef



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Child Neglect, Childhood, Childhood Love Fluff, Chrom!Inigo, Frederick!Yarne, Henry!Owain, M/M, On Hiatus, Running away from home
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-06
Updated: 2017-08-24
Packaged: 2018-12-12 01:54:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11727066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trebleklef/pseuds/trebleklef
Summary: Lucina had been born the as the crown princess of Ylisse and her duties were evident. The second born prince knew his place, but never knew that he was merely an accident.(basically a fic where inigo goes on an existential crisis journey)





	1. Mistake

Inigo always had a hunch that he wasn’t as important as his sister.

His father always doted on her more, spent more time with her, and even started to train her to use a sword. He had always understood that Lucina would inherit the title of the Exalt along with Falchion, but it felt as though he wasn’t important; like he wasn’t even supposed to be there in the first place.

It had been evident since he was a baby. He rarely saw his father if at all. He clung to his mother more so than anything else, and when he did see his father, Chrom was off with Lucina.

Inigo couldn’t help but wonder why his father always favoured his sister. Was it because she was bolder than him? Was it because she was first in line for the throne? He didn’t know and it ate at him for years. Olivia knew this too, and she knew it was too much for her son to take. She hated the fact that it chipped away his confidence more, which was something she knew he didn’t need.

She thought it best that her nephew, Owain, would be a good influence on him. Owain was outgoing and boisterous, Inigo’s exact opposite. Olivia thought it best for her son to spend some time with his cousin and in time Owain could have some sort of positive influence on him.

As the two siblings grew older, Inigo had started to see Lissa and Henry more as parental figures than his own while Lucina had been already subjected to training for her to grow into her role. Olivia knew that her decision would in turn cast her aside in Inigo’s life, but the dependence he has on her had diminished considerably. It was as if Inigo felt that he could stand on his own two feet now and didn’t need to depend on anyone anymore, and that filled Olivia with a sense of pride.

Inigo always spent time with his cousin, aunt and uncle, and it felt as though they were his immediate family. He felt as though Owain was more of a brother than a cousin, and Henry was more of a father than an uncle. His mother was always there for him, much to his delight. He adored her above all else and would hate to feel as though his sister meant more to her than he did.

But that wasn’t what Inigo should have been worrying about.

***

He and Owain had been playing in the main foyer that day, acting out the hero stories that they heard from Henry and stories that Owain had written himself. Inigo couldn’t help but overhear his father in a room in the next hallway over. Chrom’s voice was loud and angry, unlike anything he had ever heard from him. It echoed through the hallway and managed to carry all the way to the courtyard where Inigo and Owain had been playing. He very well knew that he shouldn’t eavesdrop; that was no behavior of a prince. But he couldn’t help it. Curiosity got the best of him.

“Do you hear that?” Inigo asked, placing his wooden sword on a table in the courtyard.

“Yeah I think its uncle Chrom,” Owain replied, placing his wooden sword next to Inigo’s.

Inigo looked at his cousin with a look of concern. He ran into the castle following the sound and Owain followed after.

The two of them followed the sounds to a small room in one of the hallways in the east wing of the Yllisean Castle. Chrom’s voice echoed through the hallway softly, though it sounded angry.

“You think he’s doing something important?” Owain asked, keeping his voice low.

“I don’t know,” Inigo replied, inching closer to the wooden door.

“I hope everything is okay,” Owain said, creeping close behind his cousin.

He felt along the stone to locate the door silently. It wasn’t locked. He pushed it open to get a better look and to hear the conversation a little better. He then peeked through the crack to see his mother in the room with Chrom. His curiosity had been piqued.

“I understand tradition Chrom, but you can’t completely ignore your son,” Olivia said gently, twirling her thumbs nervously.

“I _haven’t_ been ignoring him!” Chrom yelled, banging a fist on the table. Both Olivia and Inigo jumped at the sound. Owain placed a hand gently on Inigo’s shoulder, as if some kind of comfort. Inigo looked back to acknowledge his cousin. Owain placed his hand back against the stone wall shortly afterwards.

“He’s timid and needs his father to show him how he can be confident. I’ve tried to have him spend more time with Owain because of the way he is but he still needs his father,” she sighed, avoiding eye contact with her angered husband. “Y-You know I’m not very good with… confidence.”

“I need to prepare our daughter for her duties as the Exalt. She’s fourteen now Olivia. Emm began her training this early, Falchion just chose me,” he said, sounding exasperated. “Two years from now she needs to be entirely ready. In case…” he pauses. The thought was grim.

“B-But Chrom-“ Olivia tried to speak up.

“He cannot assume the same duties the way he is! They were solely supposed to be Lucina’s anyways! He may have royal blood but Lucina is the sole inheritor of the title of the Exalt!” he yelled.

“That’s not fair Chrom! You inherited that title as well!” Olivia yelled, much to Inigo’s surprise. He never thought he mother could yell.

“You know what I mean Olivia,” Chrom seethed.

Inigo’s eyes widened. Was he implying what he thought he was implying?

“What are you saying Chrom?” Olivia asked, sounding incredibly hurt.

“We were only supposed to have one heir to the Yllisean throne! Lucina wasn’t supposed to have a younger brother!”

Inigo slammed the door shut and stared at the ground, tears starting to flood his vision.

Olivia made a shocked sound from within the room and Chrom cursed under his breath. Chrom opened the door to see his son standing there with Owain. They had heard everything.

Inigo looked up at his father with tear filled eyes.

“I-Inigo,” Owain said gently, reaching forward to place a hand on his cousin’s shoulder.

“Is that why you’ve ignored me most of my life? Because I was never meant to exist?” Inigo asked, struggling not to stutter or choke on a sob caught in his throat.

There was nothing Chrom could say to remedy his mistake. He knelt down in front of his son and looked at him sadly.

“I-I didn’t mean what I said okay? It was out of anger,” Chrom said.

Inigo shook his head. “No.” was all he could manage.

Inigo then bolted out of the hallway and run as fast as he could to his room, trying his best not to trip over cobblestones in the hallways or run into walls with his vision blurred by tears. He felt as though his heart had shattered and he was leaving the pieces behind him as he ran.

Owain couldn’t help but helplessly chase after his cousin in worry. Olivia soon followed, while Chrom couldn’t help but stay where he was. The damage was done.

When Inigo reached his room, he quickly locked the door and dove into his bed to hide amongst the pillows and sheets. He hugged one close to him and stuffed his teary face into it to muffle his sobs.

He cried for hours. By the time his sobs had stopped coming the sun had gone down and it was the hour of twilight. Inigo pulled the blankets away from his head and looked numbly outside. His gaze shifted from the horizon to the forest near the castle.

An idea popped into his head, and before he could think about it rationally he began to pack a small package in a sheet. He knew that the castle would be quiet around this time of day, and he could leave. He could just walk out of the castle without anyone stopping him.

He grabbed a dark cloak from his closet and wrapped it around himself. It was warm, good enough to act as a blanket on cold nights. He folded some warmer clothes and placed them in the sheet before folding it up into a sizable, makeshift bag.

He then unlocked his door and opened it quietly. He looked out the open door to see if he could see anyone in the hallway. When he knew it was clear, he pulled his hood up and left his room. He left the door open; he didn’t care enough to close it.

He crept down the stairs and made his way to the armory. He needed something to defend himself with if worst came to worst. Maybe even something to hunt with for food. Walking by the kitchen would prove to be too risky, so he grabbed a knife in hopes to find some sort of animal to cook. He was bright for a 12-year-old and knew how to survive out in the wilderness on his own; even if he only read how in a book.

 He considered a bow as well, but it was far too tall for him to carry easily let alone fire. He had never learned how to use one anyway and figured that it would be a waste to bring it with him. He grabbed a silver knife as well as a steel one in case of one breaking. He considered a sword as well, but it was also too tall and much too heavy for him to carry.

He quietly made his way out of the castle and past the guards at the drawbridge. Twilight soon became night and his dark cloak made it easy to blend in with the shadows on the cobblestone walls. He made it far enough to remove his hood and reveal his bright blue hair. He whispered a quiet apology to his mother, Owain and Lucina then darted into the forest.


	2. Meeting

Nothing that Inigo read could have possibly prepared him for surviving on his own in the real world. It was cold, harsh and extremely unforgiving. It was the beginning of spring and the snow has almost completely disappeared, but the nights were still cold.

Inigo had decided to sleep in a small nook underneath the roots of a tree. It provided cover from wind and possibly predators. He wrapped his cloak around his shoulders and kept his head partially covered by the hood. He needed cover and he soon learned that the decision had been a wise one as voices approached him.

“Well mates we’re near the castle!” a gruff voice yelled in triumph.

Inigo covered his mouth and tried his best not to squeak in fear. Bandits.  He peeked out from his hiding spot and kept his knife close with his other hand. His uncle Henry had always told him where to attack a person to incapacitate them. Thigh was the best shot at his height.

“Hrm… should we try and raid tonight? Might make things interesting,” another bandit spoke up.

“Nah… seems like a bad idea. Kidnapping on the other hand? That’s a good idea,” the first said.

“The princess seems like a nice catch,” a third added. “The amount of money we could get for her safe return could have us sitting pretty for the rest of our lives.”

There were choruses of laughter as they approached.

The first thing Inigo could think of was what would happen if those bandits found _him._ He had his knife but he was a timid little thing that probably couldn’t defend himself in the given situation. The second was almost an instinct to play dead, to slow his breathing to the point where he didn’t look like he was breathing and go limp. He read that in a book as well, but judging by how he was able to use the last material he read, he wasn’t too hopeful that this plan would work. He then closed his eyes and tried his best to stay calm. He prayed quietly that nothing would go awry.

“Hey boys look what I just found!” one of the bandits yelled, possibly referring to Inigo under the tree.

His heart leapt to his throat when he felt a bandit tug at his arm from under his cloak. He remembered his strategy; play dead. Stay dead. Pretend to be dead or you will be dead.

“Isn’t that the little prince from the castle?” another bandit asked.

The bandit that had his arm then tugged him by the hair out of the little hole in the ground. Inigo tried his best not to wince in pain as he was dragged out by his hair. The bandit then forcefully opened both of Inigo’s eyes, most likely checking for the brand. He struggled to hold his breath and contain his fear.

“Damn it is,” one of them muttered, almost disappointed.

“Looks like the elements got to him first though. Kid’s not breathing,” there was a tinge of sadness in his voice.

Hope flickered in his heart that the bandits would then leave him alone. They delicately placed him back in the hole and placed the cloak over his head, almost as a sign of respect.

“Sorry little buddy. Hate to find you like this…” The bandits then left.

As soon as Inigo was sure that the bandits were far away enough, at least he thought they were far away enough, he choked on his own breath and coughed out, to his dismay, loud enough for the bandits to hear.

“Hey wait a minute,” one of them said, pausing in his tracks.

“That kid is still alive!” another yelled, punching a tree.

“Let’s get him boys!” the third yelled, started to head back to the tree.

Inigo started to panic. He scrambled to get out of the hole he was in, tripping over his cloak and nearly stabbing himself in the hand with his knife. Tears began to flood his eyes, plaguing his already poor vision in the dark. He then slipped down into the hole, releasing his grip on the loose ground. He sobbed into the dirt, gripping his knife painfully tight in his right hand. He couldn’t help but pray to Naga in that moment.

Suddenly there were screams and heavy footsteps on the ground right above his head. The grip on his knife loosened and he peeked out of the hole to see the bandits running away from his tree. Inigo climbed out of the hole in the ground to see a sight he never expected.

What stood before him was a large creature, with large red glowing eyes. He couldn’t help but freeze in his tracks and drop his knife. It was at least eight feet tall in height and it towered before the twelve year old.

As the clouds drifted past the moon, Inigo could see the creature in the dim moonlight. Its face was white and it had long ears with gold rings around the base. It looked friendlier than it did in the dark alone. The glowing red eyes looked so much kinder when the moonlight shone upon them. In fact from what Inigo could see, the creature looked like a giant rabbit.

“D-Did you save me?” Inigo asked, picking up his knife rather meekly.

Before his eyes the large rabbit transformed into a woman. Inigo was surprised. The last thing he would have expected was that the rabbit was a lady.

“You’re a long way from home little one,” she said, her voice was very calm and loving. It reminded him of his mother.

“H-How do you know that?” his voice was still incredibly shaky.

“You are Chrom’s son, am I right?” she asked, holding out her hand for Inigo to take.

 He was hesitant.

“I know you’re scared. Its okay,” she gently took Inigo’s hand. He felt a wave of relief wash over him. “My name is Panne. I know your father quite well.”

Inigo dropped his knife again, purposefully this time, and looked down at the ground. He started to cry once again. She was right, he was scared. He was terrified. If it weren’t for this kind stranger, he would be buried beneath that tree.

“I-I’m sorry,” he wept. “I-I ran away and I can’t go back.”

“Why can’t you go back?” she asked, trying her best to soothe the poor child.

“M-My father said I was a mistake…” Inigo almost choked on his words.

The woman gasped at the remark. She pulled Inigo into her arms. He couldn’t help but feel safe in the embrace. She was so warm compared to the cold wind.

“Come with me,” she said, cueing Inigo to follow her. He hesitated again.

“I mean you no harm. Quite the opposite actually,” Panne said, gently taking Inigo’s hand.

“S-So you aren’t going to drag me back to the castle?” Inigo asked, wiping the tears away with his free hand.

“Chrom needs to learn that he made a mistake,” she sounded exasperated. “I’ll look after you in the mean time.”

Inigo soon tagged along without a second doubt. He jogged in order to keep up with Panne.

“Your instincts are very good for a manspawn,” she said.

“I… I just followed what I read from books,” he said meekly.

“Playing dead was a good idea, but it was poorly executed. You must learn that holding your breath is not the best idea,” her tone was stern, yet caring and motherly. Inigo nodded in agreement.

It was a long walk before Inigo came across her home. It was a small opening to a much larger cave. It blended in with the walls of stone surrounding it. It was a wise place for a place to call home.

“Yarne, we have a guest!” Panne called into the cave.

There were sounds of a small being scrambling around inside the cave. That must have been why Panne seemed so motherly and kind; it was because she was a mother herself.

Inigo crawled into the cave and it was as big as the grand foyer of the castle. There were flowers that had been pressed decorating the walls, and vines that grew naturally crawling their way up the sides. It was a gorgeous dwelling, and he wished that he lived in that place.

His gaze shifted to a small child in the cave, whom was looking at him with eyes of terror. Inigo wanted nothing more than to tell the other boy that everything was okay, and he was just as anxious about it.

“Yarne, there’s no need to be afraid of this boy,” Panne cooed. “He’s Chrom’s son.”

Yarne’s expression softened, and he made his way over to Inigo; much like a wild animal coming to a human in curiosity. He sniffed Inigo’s hand and his pants a little. Inigo couldn’t help but smile.

“I-It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Inigo held out his hand to Yarne. In turn, Yarne continued to sniff his outstretched hand.

“Alright boys we can have proper introductions in the morning,” Panne said, placing both of her hands on their shoulders. “It’s getting pretty late and you both need your sleep.”

Yarne hopped back to the edge of the cave where a small fire was lit to keep him warm. Inigo soon followed and placed his cloak on the small patch of grass in the cave. It was soft and warm thanks to the small fire. As he lay on the grass he could see the stars above him. The cave just kept getting better and better. It was so much better than the castle that felt like a prison.

Yarne curled up in what appeared to be some kind of fur, close beside him as Panne put the fire out.


End file.
